A caustic, polemical, scathing destruction of religion and it’s believers
To my great pleasure, Christopher Hitchen’s new book “god is not great” has gone on sale here in Malaysia. I frankly wasn’t sure if it would prove too inflammatory for the censors, but apparently no-one read it first - because inflammatory stuff it is indeed - or is it only films and magazines that get censored or banned? Frequently for much more trivial reasons than some of the hyper-critical exposition of Islam in this book! Whatever, but it saves me the trip to Singapore to get a copy. (Sorry, S! Next time?)
Note: I make no personal claims to belief, or non-belief, whatever this review may suggest, but it is always refreshing to read the work of a class act, and my own beliefs are secondary to the delight in reading intensely and cleverly argued views. If anyone cares to discuss metaphysics and ontology rationally with me, I am always happy to do so.
Amongst the current run of books being published that counter religious doctrine, attack religious beliefs as nonsensical, and use both common sense arguments and evolutionary science to debunk the fallacies that exist in all religions, and which cause both inter-faith, and even inter-denominational wars and conflict, the names that stand out are Harris, Dawkins, Dennett and now Hitchens. Although it is true that religion is a target that Hitchens has been firing at throughout his literary career as an essayist, journalist and biographer.
But this is something else, this unleashing of wit, intellectual rigour, polemics, all held together by a fine mesh that barely contains the emotion, impatience with stupidity, and annoyance with the seemingly wilful desire of humanity to cast itself back into the dark ages, this time perhaps for ever - because now we have the tools to create Armageddon - and the book zings along with barbs in every sentence, hooks on every page.
Is it one-sided? You bet it is, but it is rationally argued, and it is important and timely, as are the works of the afore-mentioned writers and if you want to start with the heavy hand, the no bullshit approach, and the critique of a seasoned intellectual contrarian, then buy this book. And learn, to quote the subtitle of this book, “how religion poisons everything.”
